President of Russia Vladimir Putin made sexist remarks against CNBC journalist Hadley Gamble during an interview. Putin implied that Hadley was too “pretty” to understand policy changes regarding the recent gas shortage in Europe. When pushed on the question, Putin displayed visible annoyance, adopting a pointedly rude demeanor. The sexist behaviour at the meeting was further amplified the next day when a Russian newspaper published a picture of Hadley alongside Putin, which clearly objectified her.

On the same day that Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize was announced, the Russian authorities added the names of eight journalists alongside several news media organizations to its “foreign agent” list. Four among these eight journalists are women. The controversial foreign agent law adopted by the Russian Ministry of Justice places journalists and news media organizations under intense financial surveillance and scrutiny and has long been criticized for being a means to silence the press. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces this move by the Russian authorities.

Tatyana Voltskaya, Yekaterina Klepikovskaya, Yelizaveta Surnacheva and Yelena Slovyova have been tagged as 'Foreign Media Agents' in a recent move from the Justice Ministry. The list includes five Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists, among others. Legislation adopted by the country in 2012 requires a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to identify itself as "foreign agents" and present for audits. The recent modifications in the law, which has been repeatedly amended, have majorly targeted foreign-funded media, including RFE/RL’s Russian service and its services in other languages. A number of RFE/RL reporters have been included in the list. The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with the targeted journalists in their fight for freedom of the press. We urge the Russian Justice Ministry to stop modifying laws in order to intimidate journalists.